NYC Food Tour: The Best Malaysian & Korean Spots in New York City

We flew into New York City for a quick weekend trip in January. The weather was freezing and raining. We did not care. We had one mission: find the best authentic Malaysian and Korean food New York has to offer, because we had been missing those Southeast Asia flavors since getting back home.

We stayed at the Moxy Hotel in the Lower East Side, bundled up, and ate our way through the city. Here is the full itinerary.

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Stop 1: Nyonya (Chinatown)

We landed late and Nyonya in Chinatown is open until 11:00 PM, which made it the obvious first stop. One thing to know: they only accept cash. There is a Chase bank directly across the street from the Moxy if you need to grab some.

Roti Canai: Not much flavor on its own, but dipping it into the spicy curry made it work perfectly.

Chicken Satay: The peanut sauce arrived too cold. We asked them to warm it up, which they did, and it was solid after that.

Char Kway Teow: Disappointing. The noodles were smaller than we prefer and did not compare to what we had in Penang or Los Angeles.

Hainanese Chicken: The standout of the meal. This was exactly what we came for.

Dessert: We ordered the ABC (Ais Kacang), and the owner sent out complimentary bowls of Bubur Pulut Hitam (black sticky rice with coconut milk) and Bubur Cha Cha. Both warm, both perfect for the cold rainy night.

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Stop 2: Kopitiam (Lower East Side)

The next morning, we walked over to Kopitiam for a proper Malaysian breakfast.

We ordered Kaya Butter Toast with soft-boiled egg on the side. Dipping the sweet toast into the runny egg with a dash of white pepper is one of the best flavor combinations in Malaysian breakfast food. We had traditional Kopi Tarik and White Coffee, both served in plastic bags exactly like you would get them in Malaysia.

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Stop 3: Rasa (Greenwich Village)

We took the subway to Greenwich Village for Rasa. On the way down we saw a very large NYC subway rat.

Malaysian Beef Jerky: We spotted a nearby vendor selling this for $2.80 each. Incredibly sweet and savory, and just as good as the expensive versions sold in Malaysia.

Sarawak Laksa: We had been unable to find this dish anywhere in California, so seeing it here was exciting. It is not identical to what we had in Kuching, but Rasa did a great job: the broth was comforting and the noodles were not sticky.

Dessert: The owner, Cami, gave us a complimentary Fa Gao (prosperity sponge cake) to finish. A genuinely sweet gesture.

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Stop 4: Koreatown and Hashi Market

After walking through Central Park to digest, we headed to Koreatown. First stop: Hashi Market, a brand-new Japanese and Korean grocery store from the H Mart family.

The selection is enormous. There are large dedicated sections for banchan and kimchi, and viral items like Tanghulu ($20, a bit steep). We grabbed Yellowtail sushi, a Toro box, and traditional Korean Fried Chicken with Shikhae rice drink and ate everything in the "Uri" (My House) seating area inside. Note: if you want beer with your chicken here, you have to order it as takeout.

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Stop 5: Her Name Is Han and Sanchan

We finished the tour with dinner at Her Name Is Han, which we have a full dedicated review for. See: Her Name Is Han NYC Review, including how we used Amex Gold dining credits to pay for most of it.

The next morning, before heading to the airport, we made one last stop in Chinatown at Sanchan. This was my favorite bubble tea shop from Malaysia, and I was genuinely surprised to find a New York location. We arrived early. By 11:30 AM there was a line out the door.

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